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Doctors will use spinal implants to treat patients with chronic degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, or traumatic fracture.
FREMONT, CA: A spinal implant is a device leveraged to relieve back pain and handle disorders related to the spine. The spinal column comprises 33 bones that allow the body to stand upright, sit, and bend. Due to the complexities of the range, spinal implants differ in size, shape, and functionality.
Technological innovations have allowed doctors to perform minimally invasive spine operations. Doctors can make a small incision in the back and leverage microscopes to deploy implants. The latest implants are created from titanium, hard plastic, and hydroxyapatite. These materials are durable and never develops the infection. Furthermore, some materials are similar to human bone and encourage bone growth. Anyone affecting by a degenerative spinal condition or recovering from fusion surgery may advantage from an implant. Spinal fusion surgery combines segments of the vertebrae to stop an unnecessary movement that creates pain. A spinal implant manages the results of the surgery. For questions related to spinal implants or surgery, consult a spine surgeon to improve treatment options.
There are various types of implants doctors use to fix a patient’s spinal issues. Some of the most common spinal implants comprise cages, hooks, plates, screws, rods, and spinal cord stimulators. Cages are medical devices made with perforated walls. This device is utilized for patients with a collapsed disc. The cage can be placed around discs to promote bone growth. Hooks are leveraged in conjunction with other devices, like rods, to anchor things in place. There are many types of hooks, including sublaminar and intralaminar hooks.
Doctors use specific tools to conform plates to the shape of the spine. Plates are held by screws placed in the vertebrae. Pedicle screws can be leveraged as anchor points for spinal rods. Screws differ in size and shape and can also be utilized to secure bone fractures. Rods are flexible devices for limiting the movement of some sections of the spine to correct the vertebrae. Rods can be rounded, smooth, or threaded. A spinal cord stimulator implant that sends electric shocks to the spine to relieve back pain. Doctors also leverage medical-grade cables to apply tension to a person’s spine.